Epstein Speaks Out in Francona’s Book

Theo Epstein apparently did not pull any punches about his old bosses in Boston. In Terry Francona’s new book, “Francona: The Red Sox Years”, that is set to hit shelves on January 22, Epstein said John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino “made the team’s image a priority.”

According to the report, Theo Epstein was told that the Red Sox did not have any marketable players and they “needed some sizzle.” Epstein is quoted in the book as saying, “They told us we didn’t have any marketable players, that we needed some sizzle. We need some sexy guys. Talk about the tail wagging the dog. This is like an absurdist comedy. We’d become too big. It was the furthest thing removed from what we set out to be.”

Terry Franconatold ESPN Boston that the Red Sox ownership will not come off in a bad light overall but the last chapter in the book, the way his time with the Red Sox ended, is “a hard chapter because it was a hard ending.”

“They come in with all these ideas about baseball, but I don’t think they love baseball. I think they like baseball. It’s revenue, and I know that’s their right and their interest because they’re owners … and they’re good owners. But they don’t love the game. It’s still more of a toy or a hobby for them. It’s not their blood. They’re going to come in and out of baseball. It’s different for me. Baseball is my life.”